Meet the Interns!

Edith Martinez | Los Angeles, CA

This summer we’re working hard here at InHerShoes! With our 6 new interns, progress is being made, and quickly! Whether it be reaching out to schools, forming partnerships, updating our media, or writing blogs, our latest additions to the InHerShoes family are up and running and we want to introduce them to you all!

Isabelle Lacombe

Isabelle, age 20, is going to be in charge of partnerships and collaboration. She will be working with other non-profits, organizations, and businesses that have similar missions to InHerShoes. Partnering with other groups can be beneficial for both sides, exposing the InHerShoes Movement to new and different areas, as well as promoting the groups that work with us already. She is hoping to contribute smiles, a dedicated work ethic, and successful partnerships to InHerShoes. She also wants to contribute her perspective to the team. During her time she is hoping to gain new friendships, experience in the working field, and a more concrete sense of her abilities and where they will be most successful.

Our personal interview with Isabelle:

Where did you grow up and what was it like?

I grew up in a town called Grosse Pointe, which is just outside of Detroit in Michigan. My parents worked extremely hard to provide for my sisters and I, and they always exposed us to the way others lived. Growing up near a city such as Detroit, I learned at a young age not only how to be thankful, but that given the right resources and motivation, anyone can achieve their dream. I am currently living in Santa Monica, although I am only here for the summer! I live in Santa Clara, which is in Northern California, just south of San Francisco.

What will you be doing this coming year?

I will be entering my senior year at Santa Clara University. Go Broncos!

What are some things you love to do?

I love being active! My favorite sports are tennis, swimming, and golf. I hike whenever I can, and the more time I can spend at the beach, the better! I read constantly, I'm always looking for the next captivating book. If I can do any of the above activities with my friends and family, then I am the happiest.

What inspires you to do good?

I'm not sure any one thing in particular inspires me to do good. I am a naturally optimistic person, and I enjoy when others see the world in the same way. If they can't for whatever reason, I want to try to use and bring my optimism into tangible acts so that they too can see the world as optimistic.

What would be impossible for you to give up?

My vision! I am a rather visual person, and much of what I enjoy requires my eyesight. Also, in order to appreciate the world around me, I rely heavily on my eyesight!

What is your dream job?

My dream job is still taking shape in my mind. I want to work in corporate social responsibility, where I can interact with those who are mainly affected by my work. This is my dream job (in process) because I enjoy business strategy especially when it benefits every aspect of its involvement.

Anything else you want people to know about you?

I really want to run a half marathon by the end of the year! I have the little dipper constellation in freckles on my arm. And if you really knew me, you'd know that I can't get enough lavender! The smell, the taste (honey lavender ice cream!), and the color...I love it all! Oh, also, I love history.

Hana Mukadam

Hana, age 18, is going to be in charge of high school outreach alongside intern, Ej Bautista. Both are in charge of contacting different high schools in order to form partnerships and create awareness of what our movement stands for. During her internship Hana is hoping to contribute her time as well as perspective on different issues that girls face everyday that prevent them from "catalyzing courage". She is hoping to gain experience and more knowledge on how she can catalyze courage and wants to learn what she can do to make the most out of her life as she enters college,

Our personal interview with Hana:

Where did you grow up and what was it like?

I grew up in Palos Verdes Estates, a small suburban town in Los Angeles county. It's right by the ocean, so growing up, I always went to the beach and enjoyed watching the sunrise and sunset. My friends all lived close by, and since it was the suburbs we would always go on walks around the neighborhood and hang out at local restaurants and parks. I still live in the same house I've lived in for the past 18 years, but I'm going to be moving out to dorm in college.

What will you be doing this coming year?

I will be a first year at Cal State Long Beach; I'm planning to study Child Development! Planning to hopefully get a job on campus as well.

What are some things you love to do?

I love to dance! I took up ballet when I was three years old and have continued to take up numerous styles such as tap, jazz, ballroom, hip hop, African, contemporary, and lyrical. During high school I was captain of one of the dance teams, and I'm trying out for a few different dance groups at college. I also love music, animation, film, television, poetry, and volunteering!

What inspires you to do good?

The world inspires me to do good. There is so much despair in the world, but there is also always someone out there doing something good. I have the power to do good, so I feel like I must. Even if I can't help everyone, I know that if I live a life where I do good, I can help someone. If everyone did their best to help someone, well the world would be 100% good, wouldn't it?

What would be impossible for you to give up?

Spending time with my family and friends of course... but also my laptop! If I'm not getting food with friends, I'm probably stuck behind my laptop. Which also reminds me, any good food is hard to give up, and it is usually where most of my money goes...

What is your dream job?

I don't really have a singular dream job, I want to do a lot of things! I want to be a teacher, work with children with special needs and do my best to develop programs for children and adults with special needs in schools that are underfunded. I hope to work with children in the foster care system and eventually improve the system, I hope to travel and teach in another country, and I want to write poems, stories, and music!

Anything else you want people to know about you?

I'm half Filipino and half Indian, which is a pretty unique mix, so I try to learn as much as I can about both cultures. I'm really into makeup and watching a lot of cartoons, so one of my hobbies where I combine the two is cosplay! I attend different conventions every year in cosplay. If you really knew me, you’d know I cry really easily while watching movies. It's embarrassing!